15 Nov 2015

After three months on the sidelines, Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will hopefully return from injury this month, but who is going to make way for the Reds Captain in the starting line-up? In my view, Emre Can needs to make way, and ex-Red Neil Mellor believes that the German will soon find himself back on the bench.

According to the Liverpool Echo today, €35m-rated Henderson is 'closing in on a comeback', and 'all the signs' are that Hendo 'will be pulling his armband on again this month'.

In his column for the Echo this week, Mellor - who will forever be remembered for his vital contribution against Olympiakos during LFC's CL-winning run (plus his stunning goal against Arsenal), noted:

"Emre Can’s place could be most at risk when he [Henderson] is back fit. He’s just the sort of player Klopp wants, and as captain, he is obviously important as a leader on the pitch".

This is a no-brainer: of course Can should be the one to make way:

* Under Klopp, Lucas is one Liverpool's most effective players, and he performs a very specific (and important) role in the team.

* Can is not a DM, and he shouldn't be shoehorned into the role at the expense of Lucas, who is a dedicated DM.

* I'm no fan of James Milner, but given the choice, I'd rather have him in midfield than Can.

* Milner is more experienced; more composed on the ball, and actually contributes the occasional goal/assist.

* The England man also has better passing accuracy in the final third; gets more shots on target, and also creates significantly more chances (27 vs 11).

In an ideal world, Liverpool would have a better player than both Milner and Can in the starting line-up, but for now, Milner is arguably the superior choice.

Possible line-up with Hendo back (using currently available players, and Klopp's 4321 formation):